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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com